


Staring at the Giant Canadian Goose

by Wine_Into_Water



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-09-09
Updated: 2006-09-09
Packaged: 2017-10-20 23:45:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/218403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wine_Into_Water/pseuds/Wine_Into_Water
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pre-Series. AU-ish. It’s simple really, Sam has a crush on Jess who has a crush on Dean who is pretty much clueless.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Staring at the Giant Canadian Goose

Where were they? In the middle of nowhere, Manitoba, Canada, or if you really wanted to get specific, you could say on an old farm site smack dab in the middle of Warren and Stonewall, surrounded by alfalfa fields and bush. Why were they there? Because their father was an idiot! Apparently this was the safest place for him and Dean to spend the summer while their father followed a hot lead on whatever killed their mother. Why couldn’t they go like all the other times before? Sam didn’t care, so he didn’t really pay any attention when John had explained it three times to his older brother.

Their ‘job’ for the summer was to stay out of trouble, not go hunting. Stick around the farm and fix it up so the owner could sell it in the fall when they left. They needed to repair and paint the wooden fence that surrounded the yard, sand down and repaint the barn, and a whole list of stuff besides that, but Sam didn’t mind at all. This was going to be the best summer he ever had. No moving, no hunting, no dad barking orders; really, what could go wrong?

Dean had come up with a schedule. Monday through Thursday was spent on the farm working through their list of things to be done, with working out and practicing done either in the morning or evening, depending on what needed to be done during the day and what the weather was like. Fridays, Dean would take off down the road, two hayfields and one house away to the south, to work for Mrs. Moore, an old lady who couldn’t get around as good as she used to. Dean would cut her grass and water her flowers and whatever else she had trouble doing for herself. All pointless chores, really, and Sam just couldn’t figure out why Dean would bother, especially since he never got paid with any money, just batches of homemade cookies. So he asked Dean, and Dean just shrugged and said that she reminded him of their grandmother. Sam didn’t ask any more questions. He had never known any of their grandparents. After that day, he would follow Dean every Friday and help him out.

Weekends were their own - no chores, no practicing, just them and the car and a full tank of gas. Some habits were just too hard to break. They went as far as they could in any direction that would give them time to be back before it got too late. Manitoba wasn’t the most interesting place they had ever been to, but it still had enough to spark their curiosity. They went to Selkirk and looked at the giant catfish and a giant ox cart, went to Lundar and stared at a giant Canadian goose, visited Inwood with its large statue of garter snakes, which was just freaky; why would any town want that? They went to look at the wilderness at oak hammock marsh, spent the day swimming at Miami beach, and even took a ride on the Paddle Wheel Queen down to Lower Fort Gary, a colony that was built in 1800’s. That so far had been Sam’s favorite - so much history in one place, so much to learn about.

It was the last weekend in July, and the car was gassed and packed up, ready to go on this weekend’s trip. As always, not knowing where they were heading, but both had decided that west was the direction of choice. If Sam had just been quicker at getting the sandwiches from the fridge, if he hadn’t stopped for that glass of water, they would have been home free. If Dean hadn’t come back to the house to see what was taking so long, if Dean hadn’t picked up the phone while waiting for Sam to grab some fruit cups from the cupboard, then maybe Sam could have had a normal, peaceful summer, or so he likes to believe.

On the other end of the line was Mrs. Moore. She’d hate to be a bother, knowing the boys always had plans on the weekends, but if she could ask a huge favor just this once…

Even at sixteen, Dean fit perfectly around Sam’s little finger, so Sam would like to think that if it had been anybody else on the phone, anybody except for an 81 year old lady who made awesome chocolate chip cookies and had a smile that was too much like his mother’s, that his puppy dog eyes would have worked on Dean. Dean would have said that he was sorry, that he couldn’t possibly cancel their plans and drive her to the airport to pick up her granddaughter who was visiting from California, but apparently a couple of months of not needing to use the puppy eyes to get Dean to side with him over their father had made him rusty. So instead of heading west, they are now heading southeast to Winnipeg to pick up the brat that would ruin his so far fantastic summer.

Jessica is younger then he is by almost a full year but she’s taller by an inch or two. She has long blonde hair that she insists on flipping over her shoulders constantly, most times hitting Sam in the face with it. And she’s skinny, like super freaky skinny, and Mrs. Moore should really be making her eat some of her homemade baking because it’s managed to add a couple pounds to Sam’s frame, despite the training Dean still has him doing. To add to her California look, she has these amazing, pretty blue eyes and a wide, genuinely happy smile. She’s extremely friendly in that kind of freaky friendly way, like she’s known you for forever, but in reality it’s only been a week, and she loves to talk, like really loves to talk, non-stop…about Dean.

Apparently, Dean is a total hunk, like he could be a movie star or something, and his muscles? OH.MY.GOD he’s so strong! He could probably lift a car or something. And the leather jacket he wears when it gets too chilly? Totally makes him look like James Dean, or young Elvis, or something, and Sam thinks that if he hears one more word about Dean that he could probably totally throw up or jump off a bridge or something.

But Sammy isn’t bitter or anything.

Jess has a secret, one that Sam has to promise not to tell anyone. Ever. Especially his brother. What’s the secret? Jess thinks she’s in love with Dean. Sam is thankful he’s sitting down on the porch swing when she tells him because he never would have guessed. He’s honestly shocked by this news.

Sam learned the art of sarcasm from the great, wonderful, and gorgeous Dean Winchester at a very young age.

Jess thinks, no, believes she will get Dean to kiss her before she goes back home. Sam feels the need to point out that his brother is 16 and that she’s only 11 but according to Jess, true love has no age limits. If Sam laughs in her face, he really didn’t mean to, only he kinda did because come on! Dean likes the girls but he’s no pedophile.

They are at the town fair, Quarry Days, and Dean has bought him and Jess each one of those bracelets that allow you to ride all day without tickets, which Sam knows they really can’t afford, but Dean just smiles and says not to worry about it, he knows a guy. Jess is crouched down, busy tying her running shoe, when Dean slips him two purple tens and tells him to win her a teddy bear and treat her to some candy. He gives Sam a wink before walking over to the free stage to meet up with Cindy Mason.

Sam ignores the sting he feels when Jess’ face falls in disappointment when she notices Dean isn’t spending the day with them.

The overweight, greasy man in charge of the shooting game has a cocky smirk on his face when he takes Sam’s money and hands over the pellet gun that Sam needs to use to win Jess a teddy bear. Ten shots dead center later and the same man, now scowling, is handing Jess a big brown teddy bear with a black top hat, glasses, and red bow tie. Jess names him ‘Winchester’, and Sam gives a small thanks that at least it wasn’t ‘Dean’.

After fireworks and fifteen dollars of cotton candy, candy apples and soda pop later, the three of them are on their way to the side street where Dean parked the Impala. As they pass the bright lights and loud music of ‘The Zipper’ Jess slows, sighs and says that looks like such a fun ride, knowing full well that Sam is too short to go on it, and not by much but just enough. In fact if his hair was fully grown back from Deans little nair experiment, he’d probably be able to get on the ride. Dean doesn’t ask why they haven’t been on that ride, can probably guess the reason himself. He stops walking and reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a strip of tickets, has just enough for the ride, so he smiles and asks if Jess would like to go for a ride before they head home. Before Sam can even blink, Winchester is shoved into his arms and he’s left standing by the mocking wooden clown with a lopsided red grin and a hand sticking out saying, ‘You must be this tall to ride.’ Sam thinks that maybe it has to be salted and burned, just because.

Sam watches Jess as she smiles brighter than any of the fireworks they had seen earlier as Dean holds out his hand to help her in the caged-in seat. Minutes later, the ride comes to a stop, and Dean and Jess’ car is the third to be unloaded. Sam isn’t going to admit that he’s dreading the look on Jess’ face when she steps out after spending all that time alone with Dean. In fact, he can hear her already, “Oh.My.God, Sam, I was sitting this close to him…do you know what kind of cologne he wears?” Dean steps out first and turns so he can help Jess out. Instead of holding out his hand like the first time, he puts his hands on her waist and lifts her out. And no, Sam did not just growl! But the look he sees on Jessica’s face shocks and worries him. And no, that isn’t well-learnt Dean Winchester sarcasm talking.

Even from where he’s standing he can see her eyes brimming with tears. She doesn’t wait for Dean, she just rushes down the metal steps of the ride and runs out through the open gate, right past Sam without even looking up. Sam watches her as she disappears behind the Chicken Chef. He looks back at Dean, who is talking to the ride operator. The man frowns and nods his head. Dean walks up to Sam, taking Winchester from him, and tells him to go look after Jessica; he’ll drop the bear off in the car and bring back some water for Jess. Sam is to stay with her, not leave her alone, and is to make sure he holds her hair back. Sam stands there, confused, but begins to walk towards the back of the building when Dean pushes him with an order to find Jess.

Jess is sick. There in front of her is a puddle of half-digested candy apple and red goop, and now Sam understands what Dean was yammering on about. Sam doesn’t have much experience taking care of sick people; sure, he can stitch up a gash, peroxide out an infection…but throwing up, just kinda sick isn’t his thing. It’s Dean’s thing. He can remember a lot of times when Dean took care of him because of the flu, or sometimes because one of the demons they killed oozed gross things that made Sammy’s stomach do all sorts of impressive somersaults. So Sam does exactly what Dean told him to do, because Sam has no complaints about the way Dean took care of him. He grabs Jess’s hair that is falling around her face, pulls it back before it can get dirty, and rubs his hand over her back as she spills a bit more of her insides.

Dean is back before long with a canteen filled with water. He tries to be unnoticed by Jess and taps Sam’s shoulder to get his attention. He leaves Sam the water and whispers that he’ll be at the car when they’re ready.

Jess is embarrassed, is mortified that she was seen with gummie worms coming out of her nose by the love of her life…OK, so she didn’t say that in so many words, but that’s the gist of it, and Sam can understand that. As he’s holding her hair and handing her water, he tries to tell her that Dean has seen a lot worse, like really a lot worse, but it doesn’t help at all. So he shuts up and just sits there with her, rubbing her back until the dry heaves stop and she’s either feeling better or too worn out to care anymore about how she looks, and gets up to go to the car.

The ride back to Jess’ is silent except for the low hum of Metallica coming from the speakers. Dean tries to break the ice, get the conversation started up again because, geez, on the way to the fair you couldn’t shut anybody up. Dean asks if Sam told Jess about the time he got sick all over their dad the first time they rode on a ferris wheel. Sam shoots Dean a death glare, Dean quits talking, turns up the radio a little bit more, and nobody speaks a word until they are in Mrs. Moore's driveway.

The car is barely in park when Jess opens the back door, mumbles thanks for taking her along today, and she’s gone, walking as quickly as she can towards the house. With a shake of his head and a sigh of disgust, Dean shoves Sam out of the car and tells him to walk her to the door, geez do you not have any manners Sammy? Sam figures it’s pointless, really, because by the time he catches up to her she’ll be at the door, and what is Dean worried about? Dean did a check of the place when he first started helping Mrs. Moore out and knows there is nothing that’s gonna come out and grab her. But Dean is giving him that look, so FINE! He’ll walk her to the door.

It’s been a week and he hasn’t seen Jess since she blushed a quick thanks for everything before stepping into her grandmother’s house. She didn’t even pop her head out the window when Dean was cutting the grass shirtless. Sam was getting worried. Dean confronts him about it, says he didn’t want to butt in, but a big brother has to do his job, so what the fuck did Sammy say to her to make the girl go into hiding. Now Dean Winchester is a lot of things: charming, gorgeous (Jess’ words, not Sam’s), afraid of nothing, great cook (makes an awesome grilled cheese), and is pretty darn smart, well not so much book smart but life smart, and there isn’t a human or demon that Dean can’t beat. Sam is sure of it. But sometimes, Dean just can’t see what’s right in front of him. Sam sighs and tries to explain to Dean that he didn’t say anything that would make Jess stop coming over.

As Dean is going on about how Sammy should have held her hand at the fair, especially during the fireworks, Sam breaks. How can his brother be so blind? He tells Dean that Jess quit coming over because she threw up on him. Dean just shrugs as if that was the stupidest excuse he’s ever heard, because she missed him, got a bit on his shoe, but nothing he wasn’t able to wipe off. Now it’s Sam’s turn to shake his head and sigh in disgust…. she likes you, you idiot! And the look on Dean’s face is priceless. Sam wishes he had the Polaroid nearby.

Sam explains everything to Dean, the whole thing about how Dean is awesome and if they looked into it further, chances are he hung the moon, and that Jess is head over heels for him. Sam feels bad for telling Jess’ secret and breaking a promise, but Sam and Dean don’t hide things from each other…not ever. For a minute there is a smug look on Dean’s face because, dude, even the babies think he’s hot, but soon a look of concern takes its place. Dean knows Sam likes her. Sam tries to deny it, but Dean knows him too well, could tell from the moment Sam rolled his eyes at something Jess said on the way home from the airport. He really didn’t mean to get in the way, he honestly didn’t know, and Sam knows it’s the truth, never even thought about blaming Dean, not even once. That doesn’t stop Dean from saying he’s sorry again anyway.

Mrs. Moore asks another huge favor that Saturday and wonders if she could trouble the boys to take her and Jessica to the airport; Jess has to be going back before school starts. His puppy dog eyes must still be rusty - he really needs to work on them before their dad gets back, because here they are again, this time heading to the airport, Dean and Mrs. Moore in the front seat talking about the garden of all things and Jess sitting beside him in the back seat. Not so much as a sigh has left her lips since she got into the car.

Dean is walking ahead of them carrying Jess’ bags when Jess stops and grabs Sam’s arm. Sam stops and asks what’s wrong. She just wanted to thank him for everything, the hair holding and back rubbing; nobody’s ever done that for her before. Not that she’s ever gotten sick in front of anybody before, well, besides her parents. And she really loves Winchester. She’s not letting him out of her sight - she’s taking him as her carry-on bag so there is no chance he gets lost. And there is one more thing. Sam waits to hear what else there can be and so help him if it’s about Dean, he’s going to throw himself in front of one of those luggage carriers that are zooming around the airport. She leans in and down just a little bit and kisses him…on the lips…right on the lips! It’s over before Sam has a chance to think, and she’s blushing all shades of red and tucking her hair behind her ear as she smiles and says, Bye Sam.

Sam is in shock, he guesses, because all he can do is stand there as she smiles at him one last time and runs ahead to catch up with her grandma, who’s standing in line holding a place for her. Dean’s walking up to him and has this look of pride on his face that Sam hasn’t seen since Dean taught him how to shoot a gun. A smile that reaches from ear to ear and his eyes are just sparkling with joy. Dean wraps an arm around Sam’s shoulder as they turn around and head for the car. That’s my boy! Sam rolls his eyes and elbows Dean; Dean just laughs and tries to mess up Sam’s hair, forgetting it’s still pretty damn short, and that just makes him laugh even harder.

Turns out Sam was wrong, which doesn’t happen often…this was the best summer he’s ever had.


End file.
